Building structures and method

ABSTRACT

Building units for use with sand and other pulverulent material are provided which comprise shaped complemental edifices that are hollow and have top and bottom openings with a connecting passageway so that these edifices acan be assembled on a beach or other surface and filled through the top opening with sand or other pulverulent material and can be disassembled simply by lifting them so that the sand or other pulverulent material folws out from the bottom openings.

[ 51 Sept. 19, 1972 United States Patent Pendill 1,639,934 8/1927Ferring......................46/l9U BUILDING STRUCTURES AND METHOD n o SP m o h T. m m em m e a e Mme Qwm, .w Jm L n W m n i n mmh a xJ E y Wm awm mam rs PAA L S m. 6 l E 4 2 l U ms n0 e6 L e mm Rd S .m Wu K o t n ev n I l. 2 l

& Shurtleff [22] Filed: July 30, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 167,843

ABSTRACT units for use with sand and other pulverulent Building materialare provided which comprise shaped complemental edifices that are hollowand have top and bottom openings with a connecting passageway so thatthese edifices acan be assembled on a beach or other Related US.Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 806,623, March 12,

surface and filled through the top opening with sand or otherpulverulent material and can be disassembled simply by lifting them sothat the sand or other pulverulent material folws out from the bottomopenings.

607 101 my m "h 32 "6 mAl l 6 m d e n m m mm v. a a "H .0 "u a m .cm SL89 .l l UhF HUN 555 5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 1,610,121 Dickinson..................46/l9 UPATENTEBss-mm 3.691.672

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l8 IXVEXTOR:

WILLIAM G. PENDILL ATT'YS BUILDING STRUCTURES AND METHOD This inventionis a streamline continuation of copending application Ser. No. 806,623,now abandoned.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION One of the objects of the invention is toprovide simple structures that can be used on beaches or in other areaswhere sand or other pulverulent materials are available and whichcomprise complemental edifices that can be filled with sand or otherpulverulent materials.

Another object of the invention is to provide building units that can beassembled in sand or other pulverulent material and readilydisassembled.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedmethod of assembling building units in sand or other pulverulentmaterial and a new and improved method of disassembling the assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide building units andstructures of the type described which are made from molded plasticmaterials.

GENERAL DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Other objects and advantages of theinvention will appear from the following description in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of anedifice in the form of a tower which represents one embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an edifice in the form of an arch whichrepresents another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an assembly embodying the structuresshown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the manner in which the structureshown in FIG. I can be stacked or nested upon itself;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 2.

In accordance with the invention, building units for use with sand andother pulverulent material are provided which comprise shapedcomplemental edifices, each edifice comprising at least two planarsurfaces which extend in a generally vertical direction, each edificealso having a top with an opening therein and a base with an openingtherein, said openings being connected by a passageway enclosed by thewalls of said edifice, whereby said edifices can be assembled togetheron a beach or other surface and filled through said top openings withsand or other pulverulent material and can be disassembled and the sandor other pulverulent material removed simply by lifting said edificesthereby permitting said sand or other pulverulent material to flow outthrough said base openings.

In the embodiments shown in the drawings, the building units comprisetowers and arches, at least one planar surface of each tower beingcomplemental to at least one planar surface of each arch.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 6 and 7, the tower 1 has four planar sides 2which intersect each other and extend downwardly and outwardly at thesame angle. The top of the tower 3 has an opening 4 and the base 5 ofthe tower 1 has an opening 6. The openings 4 and 6 are connected by apassageway 7.

Between the top of the tower and the bottom or base there is anintermediate offset portion generally indicated at 8. At the offsetportion 8 the tower extends outwardly on all four sides to form a ledge9, the transverse area at the ledge 9 being sufficiently larger than thetransverse area of the base or bottom 5 so that the base or bottom 5 canbe nested or stacked on the ledge 9 in the manner shown in FIG. 6. Thesides 10 above the offset portion 8 should be vertical or taperoutwardly slightly.

In FIGS. 2, 4 and 8 the arch structure generally indicated at 11 has twoopposite exterior planar sides 12 and 13 which extend downwardly andinwardly at the same angle which angles are complementary to the anglesformed by the sides 2 of the arches shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 6 and 7. Thearch 11 also has a front side 14 and a rear side 15 (FIG. 8) whichintersects with sides 12 and 13 and with the walls 16 of the arch, thewalls 16 forming an arch opening. The inside of the arch 11 is hollowand the arch has a top opening 17 and a pair of bottom openings 18 and19.

The arches and towers can be used to make assemblies such as the oneillustrated in FIG. 5 wherein four arches and four towers are assembledtogether in the manner shown by placing the downwardly and inwardlytapering sides 12 and 13 of each arch in contact with downwardly andoutwardly tapering side 2 of a tower. In this way, a structureresembling a fortress can be formed as shown in FIG. 5. If desired theheight of the towers can be increased by stacking one on top of anotherat each comer of the structure in the manner indicated by FIG. 6.

The invention is especially intended for use on a sandy beach or in asandbox or in an area where a plentiful supply of sand or otherpulverulent material is available. when used in such an area the archesand towers are placed on the sand or other pulverulent material incomplemental relationship with their bases pressed firmly into said sandor pulverulent material. Thereafter they are filled with sand or otherpulverulent material through their top openings. This holds them inplace and provides additional rigidity to the resultant structure. Whenit is desired to disassemble the structure, the various building unitsor edifices are merely lifted from their assembled positions therebycausing the sand or other pulverulent material to be discharged throughthe openings in their bases.

The building units can be constructed of metal or plastic or any othersuitable material but are preferably constructed of a moldable plasticmaterial which can be transparent, translucent or opaque. The materialcan be molded either from sheets or by injection molding or in any othermanner, or the construction of either or both units can be in two parts,vertically halved as snap-together units, which when assembled willproduce units meeting all requirements and specifications herein. Thethickness of the side walls of the edifices can be varied, dependingupon the nature of the material and especially its strength andrigidity. Polyethylene or polypropylene polymers can be employed inmaking the edifices. Normally, it is preferable to employ thermoplasticpolymers which can be readily molded. lt is also desirable that thevarious units such as the towers and arches illustrated in the drawingsbe self-supporting and capable of withstanding pressure which wouldordinarily be exerted when they are pressed into sand or pulverulentmaterial. For the purpose of the invention the base portions 5 of thetowers and the base portions of the arches or other building unitsconstructed in accordance with the principle of the invention shouldpreferably be free from lips or shoulders which would interfere withtheir penetration when they are pressed into sand or other pulverulentmaterial.

What is claimed is: 1 1. A method of assembling building units in sandor other pulverulent material which comprises placing shapedcomplemental edifices on said sand or other pulverulent material, eachedifice comprising at least two planar surfaces which extend in agenerally vertical direction, each edifice also having'a top with anopening therein and a base with an opening therein, said openings beingconnected by a passageway enclosed by the walls of said edifice, withthe further proviso that the top opening of some of said edificesextends laterally from the sides thereof and is completely unobstructedand of such size and shape that the base of an identical edifice willnest therein and be supported thereby adjacent said top opening, wherebyidentical such edifices can be nested one on top of the othervertically, assembling said edifices in complemental relationship withtheir bases pressed firmly into said sand or other pulverulent material,and thereafter filling said edifices with sand or other pulverulentmaterial through said top openings in said edifices.

2. Building units for use with sand and other pulverulent materialcomprising shaped complemental edifices, each edifice comprising atleast two planar surfaces which extend in a generally verticaldirection, each edifice also having a top with an opening therein and abase with an opening therein, said openings being connected by apassageway enclosed by the walls of said edifice, whereby said edificescan be assembled together on a beach or other surface and filled throughsaid top openings with sand or other pulverulent material and can bedisassembled and the sand or other pulverulent material removed simplyby lifting said edifices thereby permitting said sand or otherpulverulent material to flow out through said base openings, with thefurther proviso that the top opening of some of said edifices extendslaterally from the sides thereof and is completely unobstructed and ofsuch size and shape that the base of an identical edifice will nesttherein and be supported thereby adjacent said top opening, wherebyidentical such edifices can be nested one on top of the othervertically.

3. Building units as claimed in claim 2 in which said edifices comprisetowers and arches, at least one planar surface of each tower beingcomplemental to at least one planar surface of each arch.

4. Building units as claimed in claim 3 in which each tower has fourplanar sides which intersect each other and extend downwardly andoutwardly at the same angle and each arch has two opposite exteriorplanar sides which extend downwardly and inwardly at the same angle,said tower side angles and said arch side angles being complementary.

. Building units as claimed in claim 2 m which at

1. A method of assembling building units in sand or other pulverulenTmaterial which comprises placing shaped complemental edifices on saidsand or other pulverulent material, each edifice comprising at least twoplanar surfaces which extend in a generally vertical direction, eachedifice also having a top with an opening therein and a base with anopening therein, said openings being connected by a passageway enclosedby the walls of said edifice, with the further proviso that the topopening of some of said edifices extends laterally from the sidesthereof and is completely unobstructed and of such size and shape thatthe base of an identical edifice will nest therein and be supportedthereby adjacent said top opening, whereby identical such edifices canbe nested one on top of the other vertically, assembling said edificesin complemental relationship with their bases pressed firmly into saidsand or other pulverulent material, and thereafter filling said edificeswith sand or other pulverulent material through said top openings insaid edifices.
 2. Building units for use with sand and other pulverulentmaterial comprising shaped complemental edifices, each edificecomprising at least two planar surfaces which extend in a generallyvertical direction, each edifice also having a top with an openingtherein and a base with an opening therein, said openings beingconnected by a passageway enclosed by the walls of said edifice, wherebysaid edifices can be assembled together on a beach or other surface andfilled through said top openings with sand or other pulverulent materialand can be disassembled and the sand or other pulverulent materialremoved simply by lifting said edifices thereby permitting said sand orother pulverulent material to flow out through said base openings, withthe further proviso that the top opening of some of said edificesextends laterally from the sides thereof and is completely unobstructedand of such size and shape that the base of an identical edifice willnest therein and be supported thereby adjacent said top opening, wherebyidentical such edifices can be nested one on top of the othervertically.
 3. Building units as claimed in claim 2 in which saidedifices comprise towers and arches, at least one planar surface of eachtower being complemental to at least one planar surface of each arch. 4.Building units as claimed in claim 3 in which each tower has four planarsides which intersect each other and extend downwardly and outwardly atthe same angle and each arch has two opposite exterior planar sideswhich extend downwardly and inwardly at the same angle, said tower sideangles and said arch side angles being complementary.
 5. Building unitsas claimed in claim 2 in which at least one of said edifices is a towerhaving a top and a base with an intermediate offset portion extendingoutwardly in the top portion of said tower, said base portion of onesaid tower being nestable in the offset portion of another said tower.